Going gluten-free hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be. I was slightly worried about baking (it’s cookie season for heavens sake!) but I’m starting to get the hang of it. My regular diet hasn’t really changed other than I bring my own soy sauce to sushi restaurants now, and I eat brown rice tortillas or brown rice bread in place of wheat bread.
Some other things I’ve noticed in the last three weeks:
- My blood sugar has stopped crashing every 2-3 hours, and I’m not as hungry… or moody!
- My complexion is even-toned and the annoying blemish-rashes that were plaguing my face are clearing up.
- Digestion has improved drastically – I thought my digestion was ‘good’ before, but now that I have something to compare it to, I feel amazing! I now understand what other gluten-freers mean when they say you ‘feel lighter’. My pants are looser too.
Frosted Gingerbread Cookies
Makes approximately 18 cookies
2 cups gluten-free all purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
2 tsp ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
Sift together above ingredients
In a separate bowl or mixer, cream together:
1/2 cup cooking molasses (I have tried this recipe with blackstrap and nearly died… they turned out awful)
1/4 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar (I used coconut sap) + 1/3 cup sugar, set aside
1 tsp vanilla extract
Slowly add dry to wet ingredients and beat until dough becomes stiff. (Add a tiny splash of water, if needed) Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough and form into 1-2″ cookie dough balls. Place cookies onto baking sheet approximately 2″ apart and lightly press with a fork. Sprinkle sugar on half the cookies (the remaining cookies will be frosted).
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are firm to the touch.
For frosting, I used this recipe, but used non-dairy milk. I scaled back the recipe to make about 1/4.
Traditional gingerbread cookie recipe, click here
Are you ready for Christmas? I am, but that’s because I don’t go crazy with gifts. Court and I set a $100 limit for each other, plus we only buy presents for our immediate family. Takes the financial stress out of the holidays!
